Car security company Disklock has stated that sales of its steering wheel locking devices have doubled in the past year. Drivers are increasingly turning back to low-tech and visible security measures in order to protect their cars from technologically advanced thieves. PetrolPrices considers ways to protect your vehicle, along with a list of the most steal-able cars in the UK.
A shocking 85,688 cars have been reported as stolen this year. That’s 30% more than the 65,783 reported in 2013, according to data collected by the RAC. Many of the more recent thefts are due to gangs using gadgets to gain access to vehicles, often on demand so they can be sold on.
(Credit – Becky Stern)
High-tech thefts
Thieves have been using two types of high-tech car theft devices: locking jammers and relay boxes.
Locking jammers block the signal coming from the key when the driver locks the door. This means that the car remains unlocked, making it easy for the thieves to enter the vehicle. Meanwhile, relay boxes scan houses for key signals. They then transmit these to another box close to the car. The result is that the car responds as though the key is unlocking it.
These relay boxes can transmit signals through walls, windows and doors. As only 4% of drivers keep their keys in a metal box, according to research by Tracker, this leaves 96% of motorists susceptible to vehicle theft. Only by using a metal box can vehicle owners block the signal.
Tracker found that 25% of drivers leave their car key in the hallway, while another 25% have a dedicated area for them elsewhere in the house. However, as signals can be transmitted from 30 metres away, neither of these is a safe option. Keeping your car key in a metal box or using a signal blocking pouch (which can be bought from as little at £4.99) are the best ways to protect your vehicle. Popping them in the microwave (when it’s turned off!) or fridge is also effective.
Low-cost car crime
Shockingly, you can find relay box devices on eBay for just £100. Furthermore, there are videos on YouTube telling you how to use them. As such, it’s not just organised gangs who have access to these options.
With the right tech in place, it takes just one minute to steal a car by relaying the signal from the key. According to Tracker, 66% of car thefts were carried out using these devices last year, which proves just how common they have become.
In order to test modern vehicles’ vulnerability, the German Automotive Club used relay boxes on 24 different cars from 19 manufacturers. The vehicles were all made between 2013 and 2015. The German Automotive Club as able to break into every single vehicle.
It is important to take steps to ensure that you have layers of security protecting your car. For example, a tracking device may not stop your car from being stolen, but it will increase the chances of it being located and returned to you. To prevent theft in the first place, many drivers are returning to using old-school steering wheel locks. They may seem a bit retro, but they are nonetheless a very effective deterrent.
The UK’s most steal-able vehicles
Is your car one of the UK’s most steal-able vehicles? These are the top ten makes and models of cars deemed most at risk of theft, following the study carried out by the German Automotive Club:
Audi: A3, A4, A6
BMW: 730d
Citroen: DS4 CrossBack
Ford: Galaxy, Eco-Sport
Honda: HR-V
Hyundai: Santa Fe CRDi
Kia: Optima
Lexus: RX 450h
Mazda: CX-5
Mini: Clubman
If your car is on this list, don’t panic. You can take steps to protect your treasured vehicle – just follow the advice below to keep your car as safe and secure as possible:
- Keep your car key away from your front door in a metal box, metal safe, metallised signal blocking pouch, microwave, or fridge
- Fit a tracking device to your car
- Invest in a steering wheel lock, which acts as a visible deterrent
The recent boost in sales of steering wheel locks shows that people are realising that these are one of the most effective ways to keep their cars safe from thieves. Perhaps by returning to old-school devices like these, we can help to bring the UK’s high level of car theft crime back down again in the near future.
Have you returned to the use of a steering lock to protect your car? What steps will you be taking to protect your vehicle better in the future? Leave a comment to share your views.
I’ve been using a steering wheel lock & handbrake/gear stick lock for years even though my car is fitted with alarms.
Visual deterrents put most would be car thieves off, because it’s too much hassle!
It takes just a couple of minutes to engage these devices in the knowledge that your vehicle is more than likely still where you left it.
Dont buy a car with an electric parking brake then Keith.
Most new models only come with electronic handbrakes, and they fail regularly!!!
I have vw passatt 2008 and has electronic brake….no breakdown so far for the past 2 years and no such history of the electronic handbrake failing from previous owner
Its frightening, I did buy a steering lock but rarely fit it unless I’m in the city.They are the best deterrent and like the seat belt we will have to get used to fitting it.
Agree with you Gordon, make life as difficult as possible for these low life scumbuckets!
A suitable punishment for these people is to weld a metal box over their heads – for life
It says Uk most stealable cars but then says survey carried out by German Automobile Club. For UK cars?
The car security systems are the same whether built for Europe or UK.
Note that passive keys can only be blocked or scanned if the person doing so is within the transmission range of the key. . Mk1 eyeball is the best anti-theft device, and most cars will tell you if they’ve locked or not when you press the remote, either visibly or audibly.
What’s a Mk1 eyeball?
Tony Fisk is obviously ex-service! Mk1 eyeball is one of those two items you have either side of your nose!
Hahaha good one
Aye Aye!
4 of the Cars in the list are German.
I never stopped using a visible steering wheel lock. Any locking system that uses wireless transmission can be intercepted. Keeping the car keys in a metal box or the fridge etc may be all very well at home, but what about when they are in your pocket?
The article also suggests that you can buy key pouches that have the same effect. I’m going to look into that.
I’ve been using a key pouch for around 6 months now, and it’s become second nature to pop it in the pouch as soon as I walk through the door. Took the pouch, with key inside, and held it next to the door handle, and it failed to open the door! Worked a treat!
Keep the keys in a larger version of the Faraday Cage you use for credit cards
You can buy security cards to go in your wallet to block signals.
Hmm, only a matter of time before scummy thieves devise a way to hack the cards,
They’ve already done it – but not if it is protected by a Faraday Cage – foil wrapped all round it, etc.
Buy a pocket pouch. Theyre lined and mask the transmission TO the key so it can’t respond back.
Is this any wireless key or just the newer proximity type keys which work if they are within the car.
This issue is for cars that have advance key/keyless entry. If you have to press a button on your keyfob to unlock the car then you’re not affected. My car has a disklock on it when left. One point to note is to ensure your house is secure to reduce the likelihood of car key theft….make sure all doors with euro cylinder locks are replaced with anti-snap ones.
Some cars with keyless entry have the ability to turn off the keyless mode so you can use the button on the fob to lock or unlock. This applies to my Lexus LS430, the button to turn it off being under the dashboard drivers side.
The best solution? Buy a car the thieves don’t want to steal. We have a Citroen C3 Picasso and a Skoda Citigo. Wherever we park I know they are always going to be there when we get back. They’re good cars too.
Right now I have a nearly 14 year old Rover 45. Nobody wants to steal that. 😉
Mine is a 12 year old Vauxhall – runs great – diesel, so what resale value does it have now? Who wants to steal this?
Joyriders
There is no joy to be found in a Vauxhall except in the back seat.
yes me too
I used to have a diesel Montego estate that was 10 years old, some towrag stole it from my drive drove it 20 miles before dumping it in a car park. A few days later the police reported that they had found it, 2 weeks later I got a serious bill from the car park owners for leaving it there for a week. You cannot imagine the trouble I had convincing them that I did not leave it there. The police were no help at all.
Are they ever any use to ordinary citizens who have had anything stolen?
Lol I can imagine the trouble, I once had a car stolen and it was abandoned in the middle of town. The police informed me of it’s whereabouts and when I got there it had a parking ticket, despite the (very difficult to remove) ‘police aware’ sticker placed conveniently right in the drivers eyeline.
If the theft had been reported to the police you would be given a crime reference number for insurance. That is sufficient evidence for the car park owners who have to accept the situation or take out a private prosecution. The court would accept the reference number as evidence of theft and throw out the case. You wouldn’t even need to attend court. If you had the required evidence, I don’t quite know what you expected the police to do, purely because the owners were being difficult. Hardly a police matter, but easy to blame.
Don’t you believe it. It’s probably attractive to thieves for trashing for spares, e.g, the gear box may have more value than the residual for the entire car. The same applies to my Saab 9-5 TiD estate auto. What is the residual value of an 8 years old car from a stable no long in existence? However, even a mundane ECU can cost £500 to £600 and a potentiometer throttle assembly something of the same order. What’s the value of a set of 5 alloys, one of which is a full size spare, all with nearly new tyres? One could go on.
And on and on…zzzzzzzzzzz
A 5 – 10 year old car has a key fob, which you have to press. It doesn’t send a signal, when you aren’t pressing a button, therefore it cannot be scanned.
It is the newer cars which have a fob that you keep in your pocket that can be scanned…basically a gadget too far.
Can still be jammed to stop the car from locking to enable ingress, one of the criminal’s methods mentioned in the article
“What is the residual value of an 8 years old car from a stable no long in existence?”
The residual value of my 2003/4 Mk.I MG ZT-T 260 V8 (only 25 built) is around £10,000.
Sorry David, nobody wanted te steal those 14 years ago 🙂
Mean
So we have to drive cr-ap cars so people won’t steal them?
Do we all have to live in tents and have no posessions so people can’t steal them?
No thanks, I will drive a nice car but will use a £4 pouch to keep the electronic key in so it is safe.
Having an old car guarantees nothing. I have had an Astra and a Cavalier stolen. Their door locks were next to useless.
I once opened my old Humber Sceptre with my front door key in the dark!
I could start my Ford Anglia with a plastic key from my son’s toy steering wheel kit. Many years ago now.
My old banger was stolen, and the thieves left another stolen car, empty of petrol, as a swap!. My car eventually was found, left in the car-park of a Borstal!
every car i have owned i fit a knock of switch cost £2 you get the switch and wire ebay 5 minute job wire from ignition to on /off switch job done never had a car stolen 2 broken in to but they couldnt steal it !
Years ago we had a steering lock on our car and it was stolen. How they got it off I do not know but they threw it into the field. We never got the car back. Maybe they are made differently now. Just to say do not just rely on a steering lock.
It’s simple, grip the steering wheel tightly and give the pedal the lock is on a sharp kick, I was told that by a copper after a mate lost his key.
I’m not sure if this is the sort of information you should be sharing, you don’t know who might be reading this!!
It’s only a ratchet bar and small metal teeth. Not at all hard to kick off and a mini hacksaw would take a few minutes at most to cut through it. It’s really a visual deterrent rather than a mechanical one as thieves “go equipped” to deal with most devices. Speed is off the essence though, so if a crook-lock (old name), is evident, they may well try an easier target.
For years I have used a heavy chain and padlock, which are cheap, visible and compact and therefore easy to store when not in use.
Unfortunately, chains can be cut very easily and most padlocks (even the expensive ones) are easy to pick. With the exception of one or two makes, padlocks and chains are a waste of money. For confirmation, please check out the motorcycle website security reviews.
However heavy duty padlocks are very hard to cut using a relay box. Motor cycle thieves likely carry different tools to the hi-tech car theives
Listen gentlemen, two friends of mine had their cars stolen. They broke in to the house while they were home, in one case threatened him with a knife, took all keys and cars. No tin foil or metal boxes or Crooklocks would have helped. Maybe it’s preferable to let them have the car in some cases.
Use the Russian method.
A grenade under the seat
I have three Diskloks and on one vehicle I also have a Ghost immobiliser and OBDI port relocated and disabled. I also use Faraday Pouches for the keys. This article only states the most stealable, not the most stolen. The Land Rover Defender is amongst the top ten most stolen vehicle, one of the reasons I got rid of mine, I never knew if it would be there in the morning.
It’s not just that it was the most stealable, it’s also one of the easiest to remove parts from
I’ve always used a steering lock for all my cars. It’s the hassle factor that helps put them off although I did have a side window smashed once and the ashtray ripped out to see if there was any loose change I reckon.
I’ve got an old Saab and it’s very quick but never been touched. Mind you, you have to lock the gears in reverse before you can get the keys out. Now that’s a deterrent.
Trouble is as we try to protect our new cars further it will probably lead to an increase in car jackings which is becoming a worry.
True about car jackings but my Freelander2 has a solution. You have to press a button on the fob to unlock the car. Then you can put the key in your pocket because the car senses that the fob is in the car allowing you to start up and drive. If some scrote throws you out of the car you can run away with the key in your pocket. When away some metres you can then press the alarm button on the fob and lock them in the car.
I was told simple kitchen foil works. I have lined a ceramic mug with kitchen foil and drop them in there while in the house, job done!
…………unless someone tells me different!
You need to shield the key all round, so a metal type lid is recommended to go on top of your mug.
You could put the keys in a saucepan with a metal lid…
But don’t forget to tell the missus, but even so it will still be your fault when she forgets.
you sound a real mug
It does.Wrap your debit card in a fold of it,and try to pay contactless at the supermarket,it will block the payment.Would pop some foil over the top of keys in the mug tho’.
Good Idea, cheers.
The key fob needs to be completely surrounded by foil. Your mug has an open top that still allows RF to access the fob. Put a foil lined lid on it and make sure the foil in the mug rolls over the rim so the lid foiul touches it. Now you have a Faraday Cage that works.
The more complete the surround the better, but 100% is not needed. Your car is a safe place to be in during a lightning storm despite it having windows.
The jets have to be totally enclosed in the foil to work, not just dropped in a mug lined with foil!
I have used a steering lock on every car I have owned over the past 60 years and ALWAYS fit it
“Popping them in the microwave (when it’s turned off!) or fridge is also effective”
Never ever, ever do either of these, you might remember the keys are in the microwave but the rest of the family won’t. Starting the microwave can have three consequences, 1) Destroying the microwave 2) Destroying the security chip in the key 3) can cause the battery in the fob to explode.
As for the fridge doing this regularly will severely reduce the life of the battery in the fob.
Completely stupid and dangerous advice do these muppets not have brain cells!
If you are that worried just use a small metal cash tin.
Who’s gonna turn the microwave on with nothing in there?
You haven’t got kids, then?
No, that’s how we can afford the expensive cars with the switch enabled keyless ignition system.
(and also why they stay clean inside, we are more relaxed when driving, and we get to drive with our choice of music)
T44453.
A combination microwave would be turned on to preheat without opening the door. 190c would likely fry a fob.
A child conducting an experiment.
I’m pretty sure they are referring to a Faraday cage, which doesn’t actually work until the power is on. Nice overreaction there, by the way.
They did say microwave or fridge, actually.
NOT CORRECT. A Faraday Cage is a well known way for electronic devices to be prevented from radiating RF. They work ALL the time as they need no power at all as they are PASSIVE shields that we electronics engineers have used to protect may devices or to give a ‘quiet’ environment inside the cage where no RF can enter or leave the inner quiet environment. They are ideal for preventing unauthorised access to your car keys, your credit/debit cards with ‘touch&go’ technology, etc – and need no power connection at all. That’s why some carry their cards in a Faraday Cage wallet.
The Faraday wallet has another function. When I carried half a dozen “contactless” cards in my wallet, it would frequently set off the exit alarms in supermarkets: Tesco, Aldi, B&Q etc. A damned nuisance to say the least…and embarrassing of course, for the security guard would come running out in hot pursuit. Putting the wallet in an anti-static bag stopped the problem, as did the final cure: requesting NON contactless cards.
I currently have five contactless cards in my wallet and I’ve never experienced this problem.
You obviously know nothing about Faraday cages.
Incorrect. I have actually built a Faraday cage using an old biscuits tin and an anti-static bag. Did the testing by carrying the tin into the car and hey presto……the vehicle doesn’t start. Only caveat is that have to put the keys in to the “cage” every-time but becomes a routine after a while. Do wish manufacturers sort out this problem.
It’s simple – a button on the key that disables it for rfid. Daimler Benz (Merc) already do this.
Funny thing is it never was a problem until the manufacturers incorporated wireless and keyless ignition for “our convenience”
‘Convenience’ in this case meaning either 1) a convenient method to charge the customer more for something they don’t really want/need or 2) a convenient method to reduce build costs without passing on the saving to the customer.
And when you go shopping you can carry the tin with you.
No, obviously not. When you go shopping you take the key with you and leave the tin at home. Once you’re parked up and at the shops a thief will not know which car belongs to which person. Whereas at home, its obvious that the car in your driveway is yours. Its not that difficult surely……
Faraday cages don’t require power
Or some tin foil
Two layers of tin foil works
Three layers even better.
Or just wrap the whole roll around if you really want to be secure.
Perhaps even two, three even better 😉
Would even protect the keys from the microwaves when you put them in the oven.
The end of keyless ignition is nigh!
Er…don’t people put things IN microwaves before turning it on?
Wouldn’t they then notice some car keys lying on the turntable?
If not, then that family does not deserve to own a car OR a microwave.
I just pop mine in a stone box with a large metal closer when I get home – it works fine – it’s called a garage. and the car fits nice and snug.
I can also just get up in a morning with no risk of needing to clear ice or snow from the windows on a frosty morning before I drive away, much to the envy of the neighbours as they get chilled to the bone having to scrape theirs.clear
You mean your garage isn’t full of Lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, bicycles and garden furniture like everyone elses! Wow! 😉
Cars go in a garage. Everything else buy a shed for them folks
Ditto – that odd thing called a ‘garage’ that most people want to turn into a junk yard, or alternatively, into extra living space, or perhaps even both of those things – is a perfect place to keep your vehicle when it’s not in use. You know, I even think that as the fit is so perfect, it must have been designed for keeping a car in it, or even two cars. Lawnmowers, bikes, etc, belong somewhere else, e.g., in a garden shed / store.
Would gladly use our garage but, unfortunately, the drive of our 1950’s house is not wide enough to get the car to the garage.
Not everyone has a garage.
it take me 2 minutes to clear the frost from my car windows its called deicer £1 from the pound shop ! how long does it take you to put you car in and out the garage ?
if you carnt see a bunch of keys in a microwave then you should not be driving ?
Ive used disclock for over ten years…even if just going in shop..
I’ve got a Tracker, gone back to a steering lock, use the metal tin to keep my keys in and have a locked pull up bollard behind my car on my drive at night. Ridiculous really that modern cars are so easy to break in to.
I bet you’re fun in bed…
from day one of owning my first car a saxo vxr back in 2003 which only came with an amobiliser i have used a Disck lock i use it no matter we’re i park
Too much technology today, remember “KISS”? Keep It Simple Stupid. When I went on holiday and had to leave my attractive sports car on the drive, I took the main fuses out (making sure the alarm would still activate).
An alternative is to have a blanking plug in the line feeding the fuel pump that can be removed from under the dash or the like will do, no thief will bother if they need to stay for more than a minuet. also park you car on the drive with CCTV looking at it and well advertised, not in a garage unless you have taken other precautions, thieves just love the cover, and your insurance may be higher if you use a garage.
A blanking plug in a high pressure fuel line???are you sure? In any case, by the time a thief finds you’ve blanked your fuel line, he has already smashed your window and maybe knackered your fuel pump by winding the engine over with a dry pump. Most pumps are lubricated by what goes through them, so maybe not a great solution?
I’ve bought a couple of the pouches on Amazon – however I am not convinced of their usefulness – I put the key into one, sealed it, but pressed the key button through the pouch fabric and the doors unlocked. Now, whether that has anything to do with these criminal devices being able to access the signal of the key or not, I don’t know – but it doesn’t give me confidence that they work.
There’s a lot of stuff on eBay and Amazon that claim to be RFID proof but aren’t. I claimed money back for a wallet that wasn’t. If I were you I’d do the same with those pouches.
Use an empty pringles tub.lined with foil.
It could be that you put the key between the foil and outside of the case, and not actually inside the foil pouch. I actually did that first time and wondered why it didn’t work.
We have a23yr old Volvo 850 2.5 (regarded by most posing look at my flash wheels people as ugly tanks) so not attractive to thieving scum, we also run 14yr old Honda Jazz both cars are thoroughly reliable daily user vehicle but not the type of vehicles targeted by the uuninitiaed.
e bay and amazon should ban the sale of them except to aa /rac/greenflag and the police
ebay and Amazon should be prosecuted for supplying equipment for the pursuance of crime, and so should the people putting the items on.
Yeh, including pens, and printers, because criminals might use them to forge stuff.
Pens and printers were not designed specificaly to overcome security devices now were they, so that analogy is both stupid and pointless.
Exactly !
Why the high technology when the old worked? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We still use keys on our houses don’t we?
Believe it or not some bright sparks have some up with keyless house security based on your mobile phone location. i’ll be sticking with a key
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2333375/The-smart-lock-lets-open-door-using-just-phone–let-guests-youre-home.html
If we had always adopted that approach you would even HAVE the old. Luddite.
The steering lock I purchased in the early 80s finally stopped working in 2015. I replaced it the same day. During the 80s and 90s I would also remove the rotor arm from the distributor for extra peace of mind. I drive an Audi A2 now and wouldn’t dream of not putting the steering lock on, especially when parking in cities.
Just don’t buy cars with keyless entry. To easy too steal.
I work with 6 people who drive keyless entry cars, and 2 who have old style ignition key type vehicles. In the past 3 years, only one of us has experienced vehicle theft. Guess who? The one with the old style ignition key type vehicle.
As the classic Land Rover has almost zero security, and was one of the most stolen UK vehicles in 2016-17, I started looking into what security I could add.
Chain chassis to a solid immovable object? No. Just check out the reviews on the motorcycle websites to see how easy it is to cut so-called high security chains or pick so-called high security paddocks.
Aftermarket steering wheel locks came out good, but these days the thieves often winch the vehicle onto a flatbed Recovery truck, so steering wheel locks, foot pedal locks, etc., are only going to stop a casual thief (that’s assuming you bothered to fit them when you popped into the corner shop).
The best advice is to make your vehicle unattractive to the thief. DNA vehicle marking kits are cheap and a real turn off to thieves. A vehicle whose parts are all traceable is a high risk theft. Parts aren’t easy to sell on. And why bother when there’s plenty of other cars without those “DNA Protected” stickers.
Tracking devices are also good. As with all electronic devices, they can be countered, but (providing the thieves haven’t got a suitable jammer) they’ll still work even if your vehicle is put on the back of a Recovery truck. And, as most stolen cars are dumped for a few days before being sold on to the fence — so the thieves can tell if the vehicle has been tracked — there’s a good chance your vehicle will be recovered.
From weeks of research earlier this year, DNA security marking (£30), fitting a Tracker (£100), and using a quality Steering Wheel Lock is about as good as it gets.
Isn’t it about time Car Manufacturers dealt with this problem and thief proofed vehicles.They charge us enough to buy them.Why not fit “Tracker” devices in all new vehicles manufactured which only get activated if the vehicle is stolen.
Why should they, it’s big profit for them, customers having to replace their products?!
The local news this week reports a rapid rise in the theft of, guess what? STEERING WHEELS so I would imagine that there is a fairly speedy way to do this, assuming that the steering wheel lock is, as most I have seen, fixed to the steering wheel so that it will not rotate. It looks as though old fashioned technology is catching up with the digital age!
“Meanwhile, relay boxes scan houses for key signals”. Presumably this is for keys which are constantly emitting a signal? I’m sure my key only sends a signal when I press it.
Dug ny old steering wheel lock out last year and been using it whenever I park. Believe motorway services are a primary danger area
Easy to use a metal coffee container (Kenco or Lidl-own easily found). Also look for a car with difficult to break windows (but keep a suitable glass=breaker in coat pocket in case of incidents).
nothing is easier to break toughened glass with, than an automatic center punch.
and every casual scrote carries one?
Actually a tiny piece of porcelain from a spark plug works very well
I can’t think of a legitimate use for a relay box, so why isn’t action taken against people selling them?
A steering wheel lock may be a deterrent to a thief, but it is a real faff all the rest of the time.
using the same steering lock i bought in 1981 – never stopped – a physical deterrent
On works vans we used to use we put a switch in the petrol pump cable lead and put the switch in hidden suitable place so if the van was stolen it would only go a few yards I don’t know if this possible with knew cars but surely it could be done on some lead which to stop the car starting
did the same on my MGB, it’d start and go about 10 feet then conk out, old school
I’ve got a steering lock for my 1969 Land Rover.
Good Swap!
Yes had a break in at my home the culprit went too inconsiderable trouble,& risk too gain entry too my home.It was day,on a menu holiday. They smashed a heavy back door. But stole nothing! However my a five arid was on my drive. So came to the conclusion that was the target. As it happens the keys we’re not in the house! Now all ways use a visable steering lock!
Lots of expertise here so maybe you can explain a bit I don;t understand. Presumably my key only transmits a signal when I press the open or lock button, so how can a relay box work if the key is not transmitting?
If you have keyless entry, your key transmits all the time (think of it as an aura around it, transmitting a few metres out).
Some cars will send out a signal which triggers a handshake from the key fob so that the car automatically unlocks as you approach it. No need to push the button. Putting the key in a metal container can make it more difficult for the thieves to relay the signal and unlock your car. Also attaching an earth wire to the container can also improve the screening.
Steering wheel lock not neccessarily a deterrant. Thieves stole my campervan; just sawed through the steering wheel and removed the segment with the lock. Van was still driveable. Recommend a lock that covers the whole steering wheel.
I’ve just sold a 3 year-old VW T5 camper. I had an off-canbus immobiliser, tracker, disclock and a peddle lock on it.
Premium car theft is pretty common in Solihull, more and more of us are going low-tech.
I have a steering lock and clutch claw
Until I get a blocking pouch they will be in a locked steel box
I’ve always used a crook-lock, quite simply because I hate thieves; I also never leave any valuables in my truck, even hidden, and I don’t park in any corners or shielded areas. Why invite trouble, when it can be avoided?
Why is that “most stealable” list in alphabetic order? And why no makes from the 2nd half of the alphabet? Looks a tad unreliable…
So your car keys emit a signal even when no button is being pressed. Is that corrrect?
Correct, they are transponders.
If you have a garage, clear out the rubbish and put your car in there.
Unless you have a small/very-small car, most garages are of a size that you cannot swing a cat in.
Trackers can be purchased on Amazon for under £30 and a Giffgaff SIM for £5 a month. I have one and it’s fantastic
My car is not on the list but after reading the article I will buy a steering lock.
Interesting. Only cars from manufacturers from the first half of the alphabet are at risk? My Skoda should be fine then!
So should my Zastava.
I use a cheap steering wheel lock that looks very much like a baseball bat, so acceptable to carry in the car, whereas a baseball bat might not be. I also have a Disklock which I rarely use as it is too fiddly to apply and remove. It also is more bulky to store in the car.
Our cheap lock from Wilko is easy to apply and used every time we lock the car, even short shopping trips– try that with a Disklock!
Remember years back, when whitechapel was in the papers a lot, someone tried to steal a friends mini, but my friend had superglued stanley blades to the underside of the door catches……. would be tea leaf lost a finger, and my friend had some explaining to do to old bill.
Can someone advise; are we talking about keyless entry fobs here (i.e. where the key only has to be in proximity to the car without having to press the fob button) or any electronic key fob?
Presentation goes on TOO LONG without telling us anything !